The Night Parade comes to Hogwarts

ISDH

Ch 1

121

01/11/81

As the clock over the Church struck midnight, a grey shadow ghosted onto the street, from the wooded area. As it stepped on the asphalt, a flash of gold, and the lights winked out one by one. It approached a house completely normal… looking like each and every one of the others.

As the Grey form walked past the new model BMW, a tabby calico stroped his ankles. "Should have known you would be here, McGonagall." a wisened, yet joyful voice identified the Grey shadow as one Albus Dumbledor.

The Cat shimmered, and shifted into the Witch closed to him. "I was watching the House, a favor to Lilly. Does this mean that the Rumors are true?" the Scottish witch pulled her shawl closer about her shoulders. "The Dark Lord…?"

"Gone. But at great cost, I am afraid." the old wizard mourned. "Some good news though, not all was lost." He turned his head as he looked toward Scotland. "He should be arriving right about…"

A low growl, floated over the trees just before a light appeared. Shortly a motorcycle, dwarved only by the 'Man' riding it, landed on the street. As the bike came to halt before the two Professors, the Mammoth of a Man swung off. "Evenin' Professors."

"G'Night Hagrid." McGonagall smiled fondly at the Brute.

"Night." Albus smiled at his Underling. "And how is our Guest?"

"Doing good." The large man unlung the sling on his chest, unveiling the sleeping baby. "He fell asleep as we were passing over Bristol." the sleeping child had a massive scar on his brow, but seemed to be at peace.

The Headmaster took the bundled child and carried him to the stoop. "Here you go Harry. All is in place." He cast a few wandless charms, covered by the Warming charm on the blanket warped about the child.

As the two watching put up token objections to the child being left like a bottle of milk, they both bowed to the 'Wisdom' of their Elder. After securing the Wards about the House and child, the three left as they came.

As the last traces of the Arcanes faded into the Night, a Shadow, blacker than the Dark, stepped into the light. "So the Old Woman was correct. I see something that would bring great Power and Fear to my Son's Night Parade." He swept the sleep moppet into his arms and embraced the Shadows again.

Twenty minutes later, the Wards crashed.

Harry Potter was never seen Surrey again, nor in England

121

The Summer of 1991, no Owl could find Harry Potter, and when the school year started, the Country panicked… until a new Knight stepped up. Neville Longbottom, thought by one and all as a Squib, Rose to Power, and crushed the Dark Lord's attempt at resurrection. No one but those who were there, know what happened, but the rumors say…

In the Year 1992, a new terror came to the School. Those that knew something was in Play, kept their heads down.

Neville Longbottom, and his Friend Granger moved the Mountains to find the truth, and in the End, brought the end to the Heir. but not without cost. Longbottom was bitten, and just before succumbing to his wounds and the venom, he was saved…

In the year 1993, a man thought dead was found in the Tower of the House of the Brave. The Man though to have killed him was drug from the Hellhole he was buried in, and fast tracked to Recovery. If anything, Black was another way to find Potter… But Albus was busy trying to groom Longbottom as the new Champion of the Light.

In the year 1994, The Goblet of Fire came to Hogwarts.

And the first sign that Potter was alive…

121

The Great Hall was packed. The candles burned low, as Everyone locked eyes on the Golden and Jeweled Cup before the Head table.

"Okay everyone!" Albus approached the cup, "When your Name is called, please proceed to the trophy room," he waved to the room off the Great Hall, that he often used to arrive and leave for meals. "Goblet is just about ready, any last minute entries?"

His only answer was the flames in the goblet shifting from sapphire blue to ruby red, just before they flashed and flared. "Dumstrum gives us… KRUM!"

The wizards in red exploded in applauze, as the rest of the Hall clapped polity. One Ron Weasley stood to whistle and cheer. The Stoic Olympian stood and moved with a slow ease, akin to that of a golem.

"Next we have…" Albus called out as the Cup sparked again, "... From Beauxbatons...DE LUCURE!"

The Clapping from the sea of blue was polite, but reserved, as was the the rest of the Hall. The silver haired 'goddess' moved with a liquid grace that few humans could match, as she followed the Quiditch Star.

"Then we get from Hogwarts…" Albus snagged the third scrap of parchment. "...DIGGORY!"

The table filled with the Black and Yellow robed students just went crazy, as the 'Boy-too-pretty-for-a-mortal' stood, and joined his fellow Champions.

"Now as we gather to…" whatever Albus was going to say, the Cup Flared once More. The Headmaster caught the scrap. "LONGBOTTOM." he snorted, before reading out loud, "Fate's Bitch."

The Table of Red and Gold erupted in laughter, as the stocky student stood with a sigh, "Again Headmaster?" He stepped off the Bench, "You know what Gran is going to say about this." as he was passing the Cup, it flared for a fifth time.

Albus caught the slip of Parchment. "HARRY POTTER!"

The name echoed through the Hall…

Then the Great Bell over the Front Doors, boomed once

Twice.

Thrice.

Then a shimmer appeared in the exact center of the Hall. As the Shimmer fell away, revealing a youth just short of sixteen years of age, black hair, pulled into a long tail, dressed in a kimono of night blue silk, and Gata. In his left Hand he clutched a scepter of wrapped bone and pearl. His emerald eyes scanned the Hall, "Sofu wa ikatteirudarou." [GrandFather is going to be pissed.]

Then he collapsed.

Poppy, the school mediwitch was on him faster than a Krup on a Kneazle. A few flicks of her wand, and she sighed a breath of relief, "He is just exhausted. Where ever that Thing brought him from, it drained his Core to do it." She stood, flicked her wand again, and with the boy floating at her side strode from the Hall.

Black, that year's DADA Professor was on her heels.